In February, the Ministry of Justice in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced a new collaborative initiative called Justice for Children and Juveniles. The KRG’s  ministry of Justice and UNICEF will carry out several initiatives included in the project over the course of the next five years.

"The project will serve as a road map for protecting children's rights in the future in the Kurdistan region," Nariman Talib, spokesperson of the Ministry of Justice told Kurdistan Chronicle.

Nariman detailed how the project seeks to ensure justice for children and adolescents in the court system, to safeguard the rights of children whose parents are separated or whose mothers are serving time in adult-correctional facilities, and to support their reintegration into society.

"Due to their young age, many children are forced to stay with their convicted mothers in the same prison; according to the project plan, private housing and a kindergarten will be constructed to keep the children away from the prison environment and convicted individuals, and the children will be provided with the necessary public education," he said.

He also mentioned that the project intends to improve and modernize juvenile detention centers.

Talib added that the Prosecutor General's Office under the Ministry of Justice will coordinate with the relevant government agencies and organizations to carry out the project's objectives.

"However, due to the financial pressures of the Iraqi federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government is unable to implement many of the project’s plans; thus international organizations must assist in this," he concluded.

In February, both the ministry and UNICEF presented the project plan and a new report, published in November, titled Mapping and Assessment of the Child Justice System in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which was funded by the German government through the KfW Development Bank.

“UNICEF is committed to supporting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to protect and promote the rights of every child, including children who are in contact with the law,” said Ms. Sheema SenGupta, UNICEF representative in Iraq. “This mapping and assessment are the first steps to realizing the rights of the most vulnerable children.”

“There is no justice without judicial justice. By making sure that children know about their rights and have access to the judicial system, we protect the most vulnerable in society. This strengthens every democratic society,” said Mr. Klaus Streicher, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

Dr. Anna Janke, Country Director of the KfW Office Iraq, explained that the report several challenges and that the Juvenile Justice System for Children requires improvements concerning adequate prevention, response, and social reintegration, as well as diversionary justice.

“Deprivation of liberty is one of the most harmful violations of children’s fundamental human rights. We need to reimagine the justice system where every child knows and can claim her rights, can access free legal aid and representation in the courts, and is protected from detention. We also need to ensure the use of diversion and easy access to alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms and child-friendly courts,” said Dr. Janke.

Aveen Howrami is an American Kurdish activist with a decade of experience in the education field. She has provided assistance to numerous local NGOs, schools, and educational institutions in their internationalization efforts and technical expertise.